The wires are currently abuzz with the recent Google algorithm update designed to penalise "Content Farms" -  sites that either plagiarise other peoples' content or just create prosaic content stuffed with highly searched-for phrases in order to outrank competitors. (The point being the content is low quality and therefore of little use to the searcher).  These updates were introduced last week.

 

The intention is quite correct, highlighting the conflict between Google's original academic intention (if someone has good content you should CREDIT them for it, not steal it.  Alternatively you should produce something better yourself) versus the "street" reality that allows copying and proliferation of junk without accountability because there are few (?none?), cheap means of securing and proving original authorship. (There's a business opportunity for someone!)

 

The wires are currently up in arms this week with the predictable mix of legitimate and SPAM sites suffering - but see what I think:

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Sites of interest this month

Green Energy

These guys have been busy since the end of last year when we last reported progress.  I am consequently facing a (very interesting) vertical climb to catch up with their huge product developments now in solar power and the new "Feed-in tariff" that encourages small-scale electrical generation in return for attractive financial incentives.  More broadly - after two years of operation the company is also clearer about the market it wishes to serve and I will be re-purposing some of the web content to better reflect that.  I am also shortly to greatly expand the communications and messaging capability the guys have to allow them to keep in front of their target audience.  It is also time to refresh the site's look and feel - not a radical change as we know what's there works - but it is time to alter some long-standing niggles and bring things up to date with new web standards (e.g. CSS3).

 

International Casting

I have been doing some background work - hopefully to bring this much more to the fore in the coming months - to help generate a steady flow of model sign-ups and casting requests for Deborah's model casting agency.   We have no stats from their existing site to tell how well they do - other than knowing it does not bring in much traffic and that the overall reputation in Google is low.   The prototype site we launched in January is showing about 100 visits per month and is already ranked higher by Alexa.com than the original site.  All this without particular additional promotional activities.  Just trying to clear other backlog to be able to really help Deborah promote this and move things forward - but very interesting start.

 

The Living Room

I created this site for a local business back in January which went live early February.  "The Riving Room" is a customisable function room for business or private use, also hosting themed events.  I think it is a great example of local entrepreneurialism - of making markets where none previously existed - and obviously want to watch with interest as things develop.